In the manual lubrication of a machine, for example a papermaking machine, having a plurality of lubrication points, the person carrying out the lubrication has, as an aid to memory, a lubrication diagram containing information on the location of each lubrication point on the machine, the frequency of lubrication for that lubrication point and the requisite quantity of lubricant. Performance of the lubrication is usually confirmed by entering a date and signature for all lubrication points.
It has been shown that information on the lubrication carried out is sometimes incorrect, there being many possible reasons for this, but the important fact is that failure to carry out lubrication may cause serious damage to machinery with machine shutdowns, resulting in lost production. The question of proof is a difficult one when it comes to verifying in the case of a damaged bearing, for example, whether or not lubrication has been carried out in the prescribed manner.